Take My Hand
by GorensBrownFolder
Summary: It was during what would become the final weeks of the Great War that Hermione had first been able to see Draco Malfoy as something other than an enemy. It had started when he had turned up at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place shouldering the heavy weight of.
1. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

Title: **Take My Hand**

Rating: **M – for violence**

Summary: **Main is** s**et five years after Hogwarts and 3 years after the Great War - flashback is set 2 years after Hogwarts a the final weeks of the Great War.**

'_It was during what would become the final weeks of the Great War that she had first been able to see Draco Malfoy as something other than an enemy. It had started when he had turned up at number 12 Grimmauld place shouldering the heavy weight of Nymphadora Tonks bloody and unconscious form, whilst barely able to stand himself…' _**Draco/Hermione **

Reviews: **Well, if you must, you must!**

Updates: **Fortnightly – I have a life…honest!**

Disclaimer: **Computer (check), Idea (check), J.K.Rowling…damn, I knew I forgot something!**

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**Chapter One : Number Twelve Grimmauld Place**

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At the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, twenty three year old Hermione Granger stared once again at the message that had just arrived for her by owl, it contained only three words in wrenchingly familiar script and its simplicity tugged at her heart.

_I am lost._

Without question, she knew who it was from, what it meant and what she must do. Picking up the piece of parchment, she wrote underneath the missive, three words of her own.

_Take my hand._

Curling the piece of parchment and tying it with a ribbon, she beckoned to the owl and sent it back.

Leaving her desk and asking her assistant to cancel all her appointments, she made her way through the Ministry's main hall to the fireplaces. Tonight she would floo to her destination. She had not needed to ask where they were to meet, grabbing a handful of floo powder, she instinctively she knew where she would find who she was looking for.

"Malfoy Manor" she said clearly, though not loudly.

Within seconds she was standing in the fireplace of the enormous library at Malfoy Manor, greeted only by silence and the unearthly beautiful portrait of Narcissa Malfoy which hung above the mantle.

He was not here yet, but she had not expected him to be, so, making herself comfortable, she took her seat in the large overstuffed armchair by the window, staring at the day light fading quickly over the horizon and thought about how she had ended up here.

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FLASHBACK 3 YEARS

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It was during what would become the final weeks of the Great War that she had first been able to see Draco Malfoy as something other than an enemy.

It had started when he had turned up at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place shouldering the heavy weight of Nymphadora Tonks bloody and unconscious form whilst barely able to stand himself. Lupin had opened the door, with wand poised, upon the insistent shuddering kicks that Malfoy had aimed to alert them to his presence, Hermione stood three paces behind him, wand at the ready and her heart in her mouth.

Malfoy had said only four words to them in a broken exhausted voice; "Help me save her", and with that he had crumpled to his knees in the hallway, his strength gone as he slipped from consciousness and slumped pathetically against the wall.

_Nymphadora Tonks, senior member, guiding light and sometime comic relief for The Order of The Phoenix had been killed by Death Eaters two months ago; all that had been found was her broken wand, and one of her boots beside a pool of blood and earth scorched by curse blasts. As had happened far too often during the two years that the war had been raging, they'd had no choice but to mourn another fallen warrior and try to forget that they had lost another friend in their fight against the dark lord. _

_Lupin, naturally, had taken it hardest of all. He had thrown himself into the war effort with a renewed sense of recklessness and dark passion. No longer did he keep to Grimmauld Place's dungeons on the nights of the full moon, instead he journeyed deep into the Dark Lord's territory by day and wreaked his vengeance upon them with bloody satisfaction and a clear conscience by night. Many a Death Eater found their way to the gates of hell through Remus Lupin; and the memory of this was a salve to his tortured soul._

Lupin looked at her, his eyes wide with shock at seeing Tonks alive, if only barely, and he had screamed for Moody with wand still drawn at the unconscious Malfoy. Moody had limped into the hall, wand drawn, enchanted eye circling violently and had hollered at Lupin to "put your wand down and bring your girlfriend inside." Lupin had not had to ask if it was Tonks, Moody's enchanted eye had already assessed Tonks and Malfoy and had found them to be exactly who they appeared to be.

Lupin removed Tonks from Malfoy's limp arms and had hurried her through the house screaming for Molly Weasley to flu Madam Pomfrey here immediately. Other members of the Order had followed Lupin and Tonks through the house, never looking to see who had brought her home to them, excited just to see that she was alive.

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It was only Hermione who stood in the hallway with the unconscious Malfoy as he breathed shallowly in and out. She looked at him carefully, wand drawn.

To her surprise his hair was not perfect as it had always during their days at school. Now two years later, long and tinged with the rusty brown of dried blood it hung around him like a halo of death. The face that she had so often though of as being the perfection of cruelty, looked drawn, pinched, battered and yet strangely in his unconscious state, decidedly childlike. The too big robes he wore were caked with dried blood, dirt and torn and tattered. In his current state, he was unrecognizable as the 'Slytherin Prince' she had learned to loath at school.

Taking a step closer to him; kneeling down by his side she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently, "Malfoy?" When there was no response; she waved her wand and whispered "Rennervate!"

Malfoy's eyelashes fluttered against his cheek as he struggled against the light of the hallway. A hand on his shoulder shook him again and his first reaction was to put his arms up in defense of himself.

"Malfoy?" a quietly commanding female voice asked "can you hear me?"

Granger, he decided, it was Granger talking to him…Grimmauld place…Tonks…his memory returned.

"Granger...?" he rasped his eyes still closed. "You have to help Tonks, they tried to kill her, they tried to kill us, they tortured…." His voice broke, his breathing became increasingly labored and he moved his hand to his side as though in pain. "Help her….please…please Hermione." As he said her name, Malfoy opened his eyes and looked directly at Hermione, those grey eyes no longer insolent or cruel, were merely pleading with her to save Tonks.

"Tonks is in good hands Malfoy, she's being helped now. The whole Order is looking after her" She watched as Malfoy slumped slightly in relief at her words. "Where did you find her; how did you find her?"

Malfoy closed his eyes and fought valiantly against the gathering darkness behind his eyes. "I was with her, at the Manor."

"Malfoy Manor?" Hermione asked

"Yes, she was tortured for what she knew" he rasped, his throat raw; "But she never told them…she fought them so hard."

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Sadly, Hermione's first thoughts were that if Tonks had been tortured then The Order had surely been compromised. The Death Eaters had been relentless in their pursuit of information from Order members over the years and were known to use unforgivable methods of torture, both mental and physical to get whatever they needed.

Order members had cracked under the pressure before, indeed Percy Weasley had almost cost them all their lives two months ago, sadly, after giving up battle strategies under pain of torture he was then killed and dumped at The Burrow for his family to find.

"Merlin's beard, she could have told them anything!" she gritted from between clenched teeth.

"No Grang…Hermione, she told them nothing" he grabbed at her arm weakly, but his eyes blazed with conviction "Tonks almost bled to death twice, because she wouldn't betray the Order."

"You saw her being tortured?" she gripped his shoulder, shaking him violently in her anger. "How, I suppose you were you part of it Malfoy?"

"We…we were in the same cell" he whispered as the darkness rose again "they tortured us in front of e-each other."

With that last comment, Draco Malfoy stopped fighting the tide of darkness that was trying to claim him, and slipped back into unconsciousness.

Although Hermione registered that he had passed out, the implication of what Malfoy had just said hit her hard. He had said that they had both been tortured, which meant Malfoy had been a prisoner, not a Death Eater.

Reaching for his left wrist, she pulled back his blood and dirt encrusted sleeve – there, where she had until now, expected to find the dark mark tattooed on his arm, was instead raw, weeping, infected wounds and the scarred and bruised flesh from months of being manacled to a dungeon wall.

The involuntary cry that passed her lips brought Moody into the hallway once more, with a dispassionate glance; he looked from Malfoy's arm to Hermione.

"He alive then?"

Hermione could only nod in response.

"Best get him upstairs and make him comfortable, I'll send Pomfrey up when she's done with Tonks."

Without an offer to assist her, he walked back down the hallway and into the room where Tonks was being helped.

Trying to pull herself together, Hermione waved her wand and said _"Wingardium Leviosa"_ and watched as Malfoy's body rose from the hallway into the air in front her.

"_Locomotor Malfoy"_ she said and pointed her wand towards the stairs, so she could put Malfoy in one of Number 12's many rooms.


	2. Primum Non Nocere

Title: **Take My Hand **

Author**Harmmac**

Rating:**M – for violence**

Reviews:**Well, if you must, you must!**

Updates:**Fortnightly – I have a life too.**

Disclaimer:**Computer (check), Idea (check), J.K.Rowling…damn, I knew I forgot something! **

**Random A/Note: **Interestingly, the title of this chapter, 'Primum non nocere' or 'First, do no harm' is a fundamental principal of both medicine and the ancient practice of Magyck. Additionally, althought it is widely believe that the term 'First, do no harm' comes from the Hippocratic Oath, it actually comes from another of Hypocrates works '_Epidemic'. _

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**Chapter Two:_ 'Primum Non Nocere'_ - First, Do No Harm **

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It had been an hour since she had brought Malfoy upstairs to the small room adjoining her own and still Madam Pomfrey had not arrived.

Malfoy had remained unconscious and although he randomly made movements, he did not awaken. Unsure of what to do, Hermione had sought solace in the one place she had always found comfort, books.

Picking up a copy of _Professor Maioribus Vigoratus'_ _"Healing at Home- The Body Sacred"_ medical manual she moved over to read by the light of the fire and set about trying to help Malfoy as best she could in the meantime.

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**_Step 1: "First, if the patient is wearing robes, remove any outer garments to better assess the state of the patients injuries."_**

"OK, that makes sense" she muttered a blush creeping to her cheeks, _"Aufero Vestis" _she waved her wand and Malfoy's robes, shirt, shoes and pants disappeared, leaving him only in his boxer shorts.

**_Step 2: "Clean any wounds with warm water and a combination of the following herbs in an infusion steeped for ten minutes: Goldenseal, Comfrey, Marshmallow Root and Arnica, debride wound until all obvious dirt and pus is removed."_**

With a grimace she measured out the ingredients into the cauldron of hot water that she had set over the fire earlier on. Ignoring the pungent odor the infusion created as she poured it into a small bowl, she turned and examined the extent of Malfoy's injuries for the first time.

No longer hidden by his clothing, there could be no doubt that he had indeed been the victim of vicious and repeated torture.

The ethereally pale skin on his chest was marred by no less than seven deep incisions in various stages of healing, that Hermione surmised had been made by a knife, each wound was an angry red color, a sure sign that an infection had set in.

His shoulders and upper arms carried bruises in the shape of finger marks, and from his position lying on his side she could see that his back was a mess of shallow lacerations, most likely the effects of a whip - it was the marks on his neck, however, that she found the most sickening of all.

There, marring the pale blue white skin, were no less than three ligature marks in varying stages of bruising, indicating that someone had tried to strangle him, not once, but on three separate occasions, she wondered what information one could hold that would be so precious that someone would go to those sickening lengths to obtain it.

Never, had she thought that she would cry for Draco Malfoy – but as she stood there, staring down at his marred and mutilated body and remembering the prideful boy he had once been, the tears indeed came. Stifling another shuddering sob, she grabbed the soft muslin cloth she had found in the cupboard and dipping it into the infusion, she began to tend his wounds.

For nearly two hours she worked gently and thoroughly on Malfoy's wounds, re-preparing the infusion several times. In those times when she allowed herself to see him as a Malfoy instead of a patient, she found herself brushing tears from her cheeks. When the wounds were finally cleaned, she turned once again to the book.

**_Step 3: "Cast 'Censeo Skeletus' to heal any broken bones._**

Hermione cast the spell and watched as a concave shape in Malfoy's chest filled out once again, his breathing, which had to that point been labored, settled and became regular. She surmised he had had several broken ribs and was pleased to see that she had at least made a different to his immediate health.

**_Step 4: "Wound-Healing Potion – patient must be conscious upon administration; this is best followed by the Dreamless Sleep Potion to aid recuperation. Do not administer the Dreamless Sleep Potion within 10 minutes of the Wound-Healing Potion"_**

Hermione realized that although she had some Dreamless Sleep Potion left over from her recent bout of nightmares, the Wound Healing Potion was something she would need to visit Snape's old store room downstairs for. Placing the muslin cloth down next to the bowl, she stoked the fire and walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

Her feet made no sound on the heavily carpeted stairs as she headed down to Snape's storeroom. It took her only a moment to find what she was looking for amongst the many small bottles and vials in the massive potions store, with the wound healing potion and an extra bottle of Dreamless Sleep, she made her way back up the stairs.

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She met Harry on the first floor landing, tired and having returned from his nightly patrols he greeted her with a quick hug and a small smile that did not quite reach eyes that seemed far older than their mere twenty years.

"I saw Tonks is back." He said tiredly, running a hand through his hair. "Lupin couldn't be happier; he's almost like himself again."

Hermione nodded, fingering the small bottles uneasily.

"Tonks said it was Malfoy of all people that brought her back; she said she owed him her life." His voice was calm, but Hermione knew only too well how controlled Harry could be. "Moody said that you were looking after him."

Hermione looked Harry dead in the eye and nodded.

"Anything I should know?" He asked "I mean, are we sure that this is not some elaborate Death Eater trap?"

Hermione knew that no words could adequately explain the situation to Harry, so instead, she took his hand simply said "Come with me."

She pushed open the door to the room where Malfoy lay unconscious, Harry following no farther than a pace behind her. While she walked to the fireplace to measure out more of the infusion to clean Malfoy's wounds, Harry walked across the room to where his old rival lay.

Harry and Malfoy had been rivals since the first day they had met at Hogwarts, in every way they had despised each other, 'The Boy Who Lived' and 'Malfoy, Son of a Death Eater' were as different on the outside from each other as night was to day. But to Harry, Malfoy was still a human being and deserved to be treated as such, no words could adequately describe the revulsion he felt as he looked down at the wanton destruction that had been meted out on Malfoy's body.

"Who did this to him?" He choked out.

"Death Eaters." Hermione said softly as she moved the muslin cloth across his forehead, wiping dried blood from his hairline.

"But Lucius…" Harry whispered. "How could he let them…"

"I don't know. All I know is that he has been tortured Harry, for a long time – maybe even longer than Tonks was. He was the one that rescued Tonks, he got her out and he brought her home to us. For the moment, that's all I need to know." Hermione's said, her hands shaking slightly as she measured out the Wound Healing Potion into a small glass.

Putting the glass down, she walked to the cupboard and took out a blanket, placing it over Malfoy's legs and waist. "I need to wake him up to give him this potion, perhaps you could ask him some questions then? He needs to be awake for 10 minutes before I can give him a sleeping draught. Just take it easy, I'm sure he's exhausted and in pain."

Harry merely nodded and pulled two of the arm chairs closer to the bed for them both.

Hermione brought out her wand and said softly _"Rennervate"_

Once again Malfoy's eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, and again, his first instinct was to bring his arms up to protect himself against attack.

Harry thought it was perhaps the saddest thing he had ever seen.

"Draco, it's OK – you're safe." Hermione touched his arm and pulled it from its position in front of his face.

"Hermione?" He asked brokenly as he leaned back against the pillow "How is Tonks?"

"Tonks is going to be fine, I just went and saw her downstairs and Madame Pomfrey said she needs rest and nutrition for a few weeks but is otherwise going to make a full recovery. Thanks to you it seems." Harry said.

Draco's eyes flew to meet Harry's, and he could not conceal the fear in them, it was clear that he expected Harry to show him no quarter.

"Potter!"

"Relax Malfoy I'm not here to attack you or interrogate you. Tonks told us that you got her out of there. You risked your own life to save hers. As far as I'm concerned, that means you're among friends here." Harry said softy, but earnestly.

Hermione nodded and smiled at Malfoy.

"Draco, I need you to drink this – it will help heal your wounds."

For the first time, Malfoy noticed that he was not wearing his clothing, and that his wounds had been cleaned. He took the proffered cup and swallowed the bitter tasting draught within, coughing slightly as it took his breath away.

"Ugh, what was that I just drank?"

"Wound Healing Potion" Hermione said smiling "It should start working on the shallower wounds quite quickly, the deeper ones will take time and more potion to heal. I've healed your ribs as best I could."

"Thank you." Malfoy said softly.

"You're welcome Draco; you desperately need to rest, so I'm going to give you a sleeping draft in about 10 minutes so your body has time to heal itself without you feeling the pain."

However, in the end, Draco had not been able to stay awake even to accept the sleeping draught. Harry had asked him a question, but mid-sentence he noticed that Malfoy had once again, lost consciousness.

"I guess my questions can wait til the morning." Harry said softly as he watched Hermione preparing another batch of the infusion for Malfoy's wounds. "Are you going to stay here?"

Hermione nodded, "He'll need more potion in a few hours, and I want to make sure that his wounds aren't infected."

Harry smiled at his friend and with a wave of his wand, transfigured the small armchairs they had been seated in, into two large down filled day beds.

"You're staying too?"

Harry nodded, "As much as I trust Malfoy in his condition, I can't trust you to get some sleep instead of tending him all night - so you're stuck with me!"

Hermione tried to look indignant, but it was very difficult when Harry's eyes were glinting with mischief and unbridled amusement. It was funnier, simply because it was true, she would stay up all night 'rescuing' Malfoy and they both knew it.

"Well then, if you're going to stay here you can help me move him so that I can clean the blood and gunk out of his hair." She said with a smile.

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When healer Madam Poppy Pomfrey finally made her way into the small room to see Draco Malfoy, she found herself with very little left to do.

Indeed, apart from administering another dose of the Wound Healing Potion, the only thing left to do was to pull a blanket over the sleeping forms of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter as they dozed on the daybeds by the fire.

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	3. Tortura Profundis

Disclaimer: To the tune of Proud Mary - "Rowling, Rowling, Rowling wish I was her..."

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For the next three days Draco Malfoy slipped in and out of consciousness as the damage to his body was repaired. Hermione, although largely satisfied with the work she had done on Malfoy, consulted with Madame Pomfrey on the finer aspects of his healing amd gained assurance that she had indeed done exactly the right thing. It was then, that Madam Pomfrey apologized for taking so long to tend Draco's injuries herself, Moody, it appeared, had told Pomfrey that Malfoy was not seriously injured and merely suffering from exhaustion, something that had earned him a heart felt slap when she had seen what poor Hermione had had to cope with in her absence.

In those days Hermione divided her time between caring for his wounds and fending off the inevitable temper tantrums from Ron with regards to Malfoy's presence at Grimmauld Place. Upon discovering that Malfoy had, not only brought Tonks back to them but was, indeed being cared for by none other than Hermione in one of the upstairs bedrooms, he had screamed bloody murder. It had taken the combined efforts of George and Fred and a well aimed jellylegs jinx from Ginny to keep him from charging up the stairs and killing Malfoy.

Although it had taken days, Tonks had made a startling recovery from her injuries, due in no small part she said, to the fact that Malfoy had gotten help when he did. Remus had barely left her side since she had returned and it could not be plainer that she was thrilled.

After days that seemed to run into each other; Hermione finally sat, exhausted, at the kitchen table with the other members of the Order for a late supper. Tonight was Tonks' first sojourn to the main dining room since her return and she ate Molly's delicious Weasley's Wizard Hotpot with an expression closely resembling bliss on her still bruised face.

"So, planning on telling us what happened then?" Moody asked, as tactful as ever.

"Alastair Moody!" Molly cried, "Tonks will talk, if and when she is ready!"

"I'm just sayin' that we'd be better off if we knew…" Moody grumbled into his spoon.

Remus squeezed Tonks hand under the table in way of support and she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Molly, it's OK…really, the Order has every right to know what happened, in fact, I can't think of any reason not to tell them what happened." Tonks said softly, as she raised her glass of water to her mouth.

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"It was during my patrol at Coates Crescent Farm, you'd know naturally, that we'd had reliable intelligence that Death Eaters had been using it as a drop off for hostages and dark materials. I was patrolling with Ulrich Eaton and Oliver Wood that night; we had just cleared the outer buildings and were on our way back to the main farmhouse when we were ambushed by six Death Eaters."

Molly Weasley listened, gave a slight shudder and stared intently into her coffee cup, she had not been the same since Percy had been killed, and the mere mention of Death Eaters was enough to send chills down her spine. That all her children were now actively involved in the fight against the darkness brought her no comfort, and little sleep.

"Eaton was felled by an Avada right away; if it's any consolation at all, I don't think he even saw it coming. Being the senior member on duty, I yelled at Oliver to apparate back to the Order and let you know what was happening and bring help - I thought I would be able to defend myself, and I would have, if it hadn't been for one of the bastards' apparating in right behind me. I heard him chanting _Crucio _over and over again, but I wasn't quick enough to block it the first time, and by then it was too late for me to defend myself."

Tonks shook her head as she explained her ambush by the Death Eaters.

"I know they broke my wand, they used it to cast the Dark Mark above the farm before I passed out; I don't know how long I was out, all I know is that when I came to, I was chained in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. "

"Malfoy." Ron snorted as he slammed his glass down onto the table, sloshing pumpkin juice onto the table and earning him a filthy look from his mother.

Tonks looked at Ron sympathetically, the kind of look an adult usually gives a child who cannot possibly begin to understand the complexity of the situation being discussed by the 'big people'.

"Malfoy Manor is as close to being the headquarters of 'Voldemort Inc' as you can get, and you're right Ron, when I opened my eyes in that dungeon, the only people I saw there, were two Death Eaters and Draco Malfoy."

"I knew it!" Ron yelled, leaping to his feet and punching the air with his finger. "He hasn't changed, you all think he's some kind of saint because he brought Tonks back, but he's not. He's the same low, cruel ferret that he always was."

"RONALD WEASLEY! Before you injure yourself jumping to conclusions," Tonks yelled, her face flushed and her eyes filled with tears of rage. "Draco was there was because he was a prisoner; manacled and chained to the wall just like me, completely and utterly helpless. The two Death Eaters I told you about were there TORTURING HIM! In fact, I only came to because I heard him scream. When I looked, I could see they were slicing into his chest with a knife."

Remus squeezed Tonk's hand once again, and she ignored the baleful looks from Ron as he battled with the idea that Malfoy could be anything other than a vicious, malignant Death Eating Slytherin scumbag and continued her explanation. 

"The first time the Death Eaters came for me they used _Sectumsempra_. I had thought _Crucio_ was as bad as torture could get, but if it was possible, they found more ways to inflict pain. They would ask me repeatedly, between beatings, what I knew about the Orders plans. I would tell them to go to hell, or make up something ridiculous and it would start again." She took a deep breath. "When the physical torture took to great a toll on me, they started with Legilimency – thank Merlin that you and Snape trained us Moody or they would have been able to access everything."

"Draco was in bad shape, he'd been there for months before I got there. He'd been tortured on a daily basis, and all at the apparent behest of his asshole of a father. He and I barely knew each other, even though we're related, but when they came for me, he fought for me, he insulted them and even attacked them so that they would focus on him and not me. It never worked, but that he even made the effort surprised me."

"Our whole lives were defined by a two meter length of chain and the routine set by the Death Eaters sent to torture us. On one occasion, after Draco had been particularly mouthy to them, they decided to throw a Boggart into the cell with us, without our wands, we were at the mercy of our darkest fears." She shuddered at the thought. "I kept trying to think of happy things; after all, what could possibly scare me after what I was going through? But Draco, he was weakened with lack of food and the constant torture; I think I must have seen Draco's mother tortured and dying 100 times that night."

"Do you know why Draco was there?" Hermione asked softly.

"Oh the Death Eaters made no secret of that. After he failed to kill Dumbledore, he was considered a liability – he knew too much about the plans they had and people within the organization. He was on the run for almost two years when Voldemort finally got wind that he was hiding somewhere in Scotland, they used his mother as bait to flush him into the open and then they hunted him down like an animal. The Death Eaters took great pleasure in torturing Draco, it was like a sport to them to see how much pain he could take before he gave in and passed out."

"But what about Lucius, didn't he try to defend him?" Hermione asked, appalled.

"The one and only time that Lucius came down to the dungeons, he stood there, looking at Draco like he was nothing more than dirt under his feet and then spat on him and walked out." Her voice became a whisper. "When he left, he told the Death Eaters to do whatever they wanted with us, we were of no consequence." Tonks said her voice breaking. "I think whatever love Draco had for his father, died that day."

Draco listened from the doorway, leaning heavily against the door frame, blonde hair sticking to his sweat beaded brow from the effort of getting down the stairs.

Hermione had noticed him a moment ago when he had come downstairs and she looked at him with her eyes filled with sympathy.

"Love is not something a Malfoy knows how to do Tonks." He said softly.

To Draco's surprise, it was Arthur Weasley who spoke first, as he got up from the table and helped Draco to a chair, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Then, my boy, it's a good thing indeed that you belong to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black!"

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	4. His Mothers' Son

Disclaimer: To the tune of Proud Mary -"Rowling, Rowling, Rowling wish I was her..."

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When dawn broke the following day, Draco was still wide awake, Arthur Weasley's words echoing in his mind "… _it's a good thing indeed that you belong to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black"_

His father had done nothing but put the entire Weasley clan down for as long as Draco could remember. Lucius' warped views on pureblood superiority and loyalty combined with the sway he held at work, had led to Arthur Weasley being continually denied promotions with the Ministry and impacted the welfare of the entire Weasley clan.

Draco had himself, bought into the lies that Lucius had spouted – a product of prolonged indoctrination, he only began questioning the views his father held as Voldemort began his second rise to power, as his friends from school started losing their lives for a cause not their own.

Arthur had given Draco something in five minutes yesterday that his father had not been able to give him in all his twenty years on this planet…acceptance. He thought back to all the times he had called Ron and his family disgraces to the wizarding world, mudblood lovers or teased him for his hand me down clothing and second hand books.

It was with some measure of relief now, that he found himself embarrassed and feeling guilty for his behavior at school. As he thought about their situations he knew that, although Draco had always had money and privilege, Ron had truly grown up the richer of the two.

Draco had never known the unconditional love of a parent, even his mother places conditions on her love (that condition primarily being that his father did not find out how much she cared for her son). He had watched last night torn between fascination and envy, as Ginny Weasley had protested a random hugging from her older brother Fred – in truth, he would have given all he had for a family that cared as much about him as the Weasley clan cared for each other.

He coughed, trying to ease a sudden tightness in his throat and winced as one of the lacerations on his chest ached. With slow movements he made his way to the mirror across the room, opening the robe he wore he surveyed the damage to his body. His wrists were still encased in white bandages; the salve would need to stay on for 2 more days and then he could remove them. The lacerations on his back and chest would heal in time, the bruising around them already nothing more than a bad memory, but the deepest cuts would no doubt leave scars, indeed these small silvery marks would join the ranks as reminders of the worst moments in his life.

In all honesty, it could be worse. He knew that without Grang…without Hermione's healing hands that first night, that he would most likely not have been so lucky.

Hermione Jane Granger…now there was something you could think about for days and still come up with more questions.

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He remembered brief glimpses of the night he had arrived. He remembered seeing her in the hall with Lupin, begging her to take care of Tonks, telling her that he had been a prisoner.

It was Hermione who had moved him upstairs on her own, and when help was delayed, set about healing him herself, armed with only a book on healing, a strong constitution and the same iron will she put into everything she did.

She had stayed with him all that first night, barely sleeping as she prepared potions and salves for his wounds; she had continued her nighttime vigils for the next two nights.

That first night, she had given him a wound healing potion and he had passed out again while Potter was asking him something. Hours later, he woke to the not unpleasant sensation of someone stroking his hair, the smell of peppermint and rosemary and the warm sensation of water– he had tilted his head and looked up at her through lash veiled eyes as she leaned over him washing the last of the blood and months of dirt from his hair.

"_Siccus_" she said the charm for drying his hair softly, so as not to wake the patient she thought to still be sleeping.

It was such a small gesture, a kindness that only a Gryffindor would have thought to impart and even in his exhausted and confused state, he was completely humbled.

She had arranged to have a bathtub brought to his room early the next morning so he could bathe, and when he had asked about getting his wound wet, Hermione had conjured an _'Impervious'_ spell over each of the major wounds so they would repel the water and not be affected. He acknowledged to himself that he would not have thought of a repelling charm in a thousand years.

A good hour and two bath loads of water later Draco had scrubbed the fetid stink and feel of imprisonment from his body, he felt battered, broken, damaged and exhausted, but for the first time in months, he felt almost completely human again.

When Hermione had come in to check up on him later, she had found him propped up against the pillows with a book on his lap, fast asleep. She took the book from his lap and placed it on the table beside the bed, it was then that the title caught her eye and had she let out an unexpected and decidedly un-Hermione-like giggle as she looked at the cover of "Bridget Jones' Diary".

Draco had woken up and although he had not asked her why she was laughing, he had merely smiled at her and watched as she tried to control herself. He finally broke their strange silence with a thankyou.

"Hermione, I just wanted to say thank y…"

She had not let him finish, interrupting him, "Draco, there's really no need to say anything…"

"I want to." He said firmly.

"You don't need to. You saved someone's life!"

"So did you Hermione, so did you."

They had looked at each other then, as though they were really seeing each other for the first time; looking now, not through 11 year old eyes filled with the prejudices and preconceived ideas of their respective upbringings as they had that first day at Hogwarts.

This day, they looked at each other anew. Two warriors, they fought without choice in war where there would be no winners. It was a war of division, sides had been drawn, lines would be crossed, bloodlines, the lines of friendship and battle lines. As they looked at each other, they silently and mutually acknowledged that despite their differences and their similarities, they had finally both chosen to fight on the same side; it gave them both a strange sense of security that neither had expected.

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Draco thought about that moment now, as he sat by the fire in the small room next to Hermione's. If he was to live up to his mothers heritage, the ancient House of Black, and rid himself of the poison of his fathers name, then the first thing he needed to do, was give the Order all the information he had on the Dark Lord.

He knew that it would be a struggle to get some of the members of the Order to believe that he was not working for Voldemort, so when he walked down the stairs and into the study to see Lupin and Moody, he had his plan formulated.

"I want to give the Order all the information I can about Voldemort and his operation." He blurted out as soon as he walked into the room.

Remus Lupin looked at Moody and raised his eyebrows. "I see." He said softy.

Draco took a step closer to Lupin and took a deep breath, "No Professor Lupin, I don't think you do", he said, "I want to do it under the effects of Veritaserum, so you know I'm telling you the truth!"


	5. Vero, Lies Redemptio

**Chapter Five : **

'**_Vero, Lies Redemptio'_ **

**In Truth, Lies Redemption**

"_I want to give the Order all the information I can about Voldemort and his operation." He blurted out as soon as he walked into the room._

_Remus Lupin looked at Moody and raised his eyebrows. "I see." He said softy._

_Draco took a step closer to Lupin and took a deep breath, "I don't think you do", he said, "I want to do it under the effects of Veritaserum, so you know I'm telling you the truth!"_

Remus Lupin looked at Draco Malfoy as though he had never seen him before. Indeed, the young man standing in front of him, his eyes nervously flitting between Remus and Moody, was so different in demeanor to the sneering bully he had taught Defense Against The Dark Arts to during his year at Hogwarts, that had he not know better he would have thought him at best to be a relative, not the same person at all.

"Why would you want to do that Draco?" the casualness in his voice a glaring juxtapose to the importance of the question he asked. "Why is it important?"

Draco was shaking with equal parts determination and fear; the knowledge that he had given no-one in this room any reason to trust him did nothing to ease his nerves

"Professor Lupin..."

"We both know that I'm no longer a Professor, Draco, so how about you just call me Remus just like the others do eh?" Remus smiled slightly and leaned against the desk, his back to Moody, who surprisingly had said nothing as yet. Draco merely nodded his assent.

"Re…Remus, my whole life I've listened to my father talk about bloody Voldemort and how great he is, I watched my father as he subjugated himself before a man who could care less about him. He lied for him, he stole for him, he killed for him, he ruined people's lives and then finally he went to Azkaban – all for the approval of a cruel, twisted, deranged, pathological narcissist. " His voice rose as he spoke, underscoring the passionate belief he had in what he was saying.

"After the Death Eaters came to Hogwarts, after Dumbledore…after Dumbledore was killed, I was on the run, alone, I had no friends, no family to rely on, no money and no place to go. I spent my time thinking about how I got myself into this mess – it was then that I began to realize that we were not so different, my father and I. As much as I despise him, as much as I want to be anything other than what he is – I was headed the same way. He did everything he did, for the approval of Lord Voldemort, the harsh reality I was forced to face was that I was doing the same for my father's, and it made me no better than him."

"Codswallop!" Moody growled from behind the desk. "Your father is a death eater boy. He stood before Voldemort and took an oath to do nothing but evil deeds; he swore to kill for him, to surrender his soul to him. But you..." Moody said getting out of his chair and walking around the desk to stand in front of Draco, "You, my boy, were given a choice to either kill a great opponent of Voldemort, or lose your life in defiance of him. Know that the choice you made that night at Hogwarts makes you nothing like your father."

Draco looked at Moody as he limped back around the desk and sat down heavily in the leather chair, his 'mad' eye jerked from one direction to the next seemingly of it own accord.

"I want to help the Order fight Voldemort in any way I can. I don't expect you to accept me and I'm not asking you to help me in any way – all I ask is that you don't throw away the opportunity to get information that could help end this bloody war. I don't want to see any more people I care about die if I can do something to help stop it and if it means taking Veritaserum to do it, then I'm more than willing."

Lupin eyed Draco carefully, "I must ask you Draco, is your insistence that we use the serum so that so you can maintain deniability should Voldemort win the war?"

Draco had expected them to suspect such a thing, truth be told he would have thought the same had he been in their position – but his purpose was clear, his conviction strong. "Remus, Voldemort, my father, the entire Death Eater society and their supporters want me dead, in fact they've spent the last four months practicing exactly how best to accomplish that feat – if Voldemort wins this war, I'm as good as dead anyhow. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by telling you the truth."

"Then why would you want to voluntarily take the serum?" Lupin asked him.

"I don't exactly have a stellar track record with most of the members of the Order, in fact, with the exception of Tonks I've acted like a prat to almost everyone in this house at one time or another. Do you honestly think that they would believe anything that came out of my mouth _without_ the serum?" he asked with a defeated look. "I'm the son of a convicted Death Eater and Voldemort's right hand man and I was responsible for the death of the head of the Order of the Phoenix - I wouldn't blame them for needing a serum to be convinced." Draco's voice was heavy with shame and the weight of not only his own failings, but those of his father.

Lupin looked at Moody who nodded surreptitiously to him in assent.

"The serum will take some time to create Mr Malfoy, as I'm sure you can imagine, the war has depleted several of our potions stocks and there is the slight issue that the potion cannot be guaranteed to be 100 effective…"

"We think we can help you there!" two voices intoned from the doorway.

Fred & George Weasley, successful businessmen, Order members, legendary Hogwarts pranksters and creators of some of the most amazing lotions, potions, pills, charms and spells the wizarding world had ever seen, stood in the doorway looking at Malfoy with equal measures of intrigue and contempt.

They had been keeping tabs on Malfoy's movements since he arrived, so when Malfoy had left his room earlier this evening, they had followed and sat on the stairs, listening with avid interest to his conversation with Lupin and Moody via their best selling invention 'extendable ears'.

Indeed, when Tonks told the story of her capture and subsequent torture the night before, the twins had listened; torn between pity for her and the dark thought that Malfoy's role in it could all be part of another plot by Voldemort to bring down the Order. There had been much discussion amongst the younger Weasley's that night about Malfoy and what he was actually here at Grimmauld Place for.

After listening to this most recent conversation with Lupin and Moody, they mutually decided that Malfoy had either been completely misjudged or was part of the most devious plot ever devised by the Dark Lord, and they were just the ones to expose the truth.

Remus Lupin was forced to stifle a chuckle as he heard the Weasley twins chime their offer and although his mouth showed no hint of a smile; his eyes twinkled with unbridled humor.

"Meaning?" Malfoy asked, turning around to look at Fred and George as they walked into the room and nodded to Moody and Remus.

"It just so happens Malfoy that we have managed to get out hands on not only a newly brewed batch of the Veritaserum, but one that has been 'modified' to increase its 'potency' so to speak." Fred and George grinned at each other.

"I suggest you start explaining yourselves gentleman, in case you haven't noticed there's a war going on and we're a little short on time." Moody grumbled from behind his desk. "How is it that you managed to get your hands on the serum and who modified it?"

"We did, we've been planning on manufacturing it about a year now, we thought it made more sense for the Order to have it in supply and know that it was legitimate rather than rely on sources that may, or may not, be pro-Order." Fred said without hint of a smile, "We started manufacturing the first bulk batch of the enhanced serum 4 months ago, in fact, we completed the final testing on it only a few days ago – you may have noticed that for a few hours last Friday George was inordinately truthful when mum asked him about his plans for the evening."

Lupin smiled, recalling the incident very well. They had been in the kitchen and Molly Weasley had asked her son what his plans were for the evening, only to have him tell her point blank that he planned to sneak out of the house so as not to alarm her, hit the Leaky Cauldron with Fred and get blind drunk and if he was lucky meet some 'lovely ladies' with which to round out his evening. Molly had naturally been scandalized by his comments.

"So, how exactly is the serum enhanced?" Moody asked, although he would never tell them to their face, he had the greatest respect for the Weasley twins abilities with potions and charms. In fact, he had used their inventions on several occasions since the start of the war.

George cleared his throat and looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Well, we actually have Hermione to thank for the modification. We were talking months ago about truth serum and its effectiveness, Fred here said that there was nothing like it in the whole world. That's when Hermione rattled off the information on the muggle truth serum that some of the government agencies use to interrogate their criminals. It seems the muggles use chemicals called sodium amytal and sodium pentathol to produce a truth serum effect." Being the more scientific of the twins, George could barely hide his excitement whist explaining their discovery. "When Hermione passed this information on, we thought about how easy it would be to use the muggle product as a back up to our Veritaserum stores. Then, Fred asked the question of what would happen if we combined their truth serum with our own. It took us weeks of trying to find the right combinations, we had to call in a scientist from the muggle world to consult, the taste of the serum caused us particular problems as it the muggle solution tastes of garlic but we got past that with a neutralizing charm, naturally we obliviated the scientist afterwards, but we finally managed to create a unique combination of the serums…we've done some rather..."

Fred chimed in, "We've done some rather extensive testing on the serum, it's as close to perfect as a truth serum can get. Voldemort himself would spill his guts after 5 drops of it." He turned around a looked at Malfoy with a grin on his face. "So what do you say Malfoy, you up to test the new serum or not?"

Draco looked at the twins and then from Remus to Moody.

"Just tell me what you need me to do."


	6. Vigente Veritas

**Chapter Six: **

**'_Vigente Veritas'_**

**The Force of Truth**

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It was agreed by Moody and Lupin that although the serum was safe in the small doses that Fred & George had tested recently, for an extensive interrogation such as the one Draco proposed, they would need the strictest medical supervision in case anything went wrong. It was at Moody's request that Madam Pomfrey flooed to Grimmauld Place that evening at 6 o'clock.

Shortly after Draco had agreed to let Fred & George test the serum on him the entire house had been made aware of what was to happen that evening. This was largely thanks to Fred running through the halls screaming that Malfoy was going to be his new guinea pig for the truth serum.

Ron had decided that sullen silence was the best way to deal with any and all information related to Malfoy and so he removed himself to his room for the remainder of the day, unable to be tempted out by either Harry or Hermione (to whom he was still giving the glacial shoulder for daring to help Malfoy).

At Moody's behest, Hermione and Fred had agreed to test a small dose of the serum as a control exercise, the dose would be one drop and would last only 5 minutes during which time a set of easily verifiable questions would be asked by Moody and Lupin.

Molly Weasley had strenuously protested this exercise, pointing out that the use of even the normal Veritaserum was heavily regulated by the Ministry of Magic (let alone this highly modified version of her sons) for a reason, and that should they be found out, it was likely they would be imprisoned.

Arthur had assured her that not only would Hermione and Fred be completely safe during the experiment, but that he had informed the Ministry of the new 'Vigente Veritas' potion this afternoon by owl and they were so keen on seeing it's effects that they had requested not only a full report, but a presentation on the product by Fred and George tomorrow morning at 9am.

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At 5.30pm, Lupin and Moody ushered everyone out of the room until only Hermione and Fred remained with them to commence the testing.

"To truth" Fred said, holding the eye dropper of serum, and placing a single drop on his tongue.

Lupin waited 15 seconds and then asked Fred a series of questions.

"OK then, can you please tell us your name?"

"Fred George Weasley."

"Who is your best friend?"

"I am, but George Fred Weasley comes a close second."

"What is the worst thing you have ever done?"

"I cast a curse, killing a Death Eater to save the life of a muggle" Fred said emphatically; the glazed look in his eyes, a side effect of the potion. "It was the first time I had killed someone and I don't think I slept for a fortnight without nightmares, I kept seeing his face in front of me. I hate that we have to do that."

Lupin nodded, he too remembered the first time he had killed someone, it had been justified, but the memory had stayed with him his whole life, in his darker hours, the mans face still haunted him. "But" Fred continued, "if we're discussing non lethal stuff too, then I guess blackmailing Ludo Bagman would also have to be one of them, Mum would be livid if she ever found out, but that git deserved it, he cheated us."

"Is there anything you want to tell Hermione?" Lupin asked, his eyes filled with mirth as he thought of the possibilities, considering the twins propensity to prank people endlessly.

Fred nodded, "George and I swapped the hairs you collected from Millicent Bullstrode's robes to put in the polyjuice potion in second year, for cat hairs as a joke. We thought you would realize what they were, we didn't know you'd use them and be coughing up fur balls for six weeks. We would have apologized, but it was just so damn funny."

Hermione should have been livid, but she was so fascinated with the way the potion was working on Fred that she barely registered what he said.

"Do you have any reservations about how the potion works Fred?" Moody asked.

"Not a one, we've tested it on loads of people – admittedly, most without their knowledge, but George and I were the first to test it and we're positive it's safe."

"Fred, is there anything you absolutely would not want us to know?" Lupin asked a sly look on his face.

"Oh, loads of stuff " Fred said, "but mostly I'm worried that you'll find out that I think that there's more to what happened with Dumbledore's supposed murder than we're aware of. I don't think Snape is guilty of killing him, aiding and abetting yes, but not killing him – in fact I'm really worried that you'll find out that I don't think Snape is a Death Eater at all and that we should find him and learn what he knows."

Hermione gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth in shock. Lupin and Moody both nodded to each other, the serum was indeed effective. They knew that Fred would never have willingly admitted such a seemingly treacherous train of thought to anyone other than George, other than under the effects of the serum. With the effects of the serum wearing off quickly, Fred looked from Moody to Lupin, a little shame faced.

"Sorry." He said softly.

Lupin clapped a hand on Fred's shoulder and gave him an uncharacteristically broad smile. "I wouldn't worry Fred; I dare say that thought has occurred to quit a few people over the last few years." Fred smiled slightly and got up off the sofa on which he had been sitting.

"Your turn Hermione," he handed her the eye dropper and she eyed it warily "relax; it tastes like bubblegum, really."

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Hermione opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue so Fred could drop the serum on it. True to his word, she immediately tasted bubblegum and a strange warm sensation passed from her mouth and seemed to curl up her neck and settle into her brain, although it was certainly not unpleasant, it was a highly unusual experience.

Lupin looked at her, watching as her eyes obtained the same glazed look that Fred's had a moment ago and asked his first question.

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Jane Granger."

"Hermione, do you believe that Snape is a Death Eater and that he murdered Dumbledore?" Moody asked.

"No, I do not. Dumbledore was far too clever a wizard to be murdered the way they said. I think Professor Snape could tell us all a lot about what really happened that night, and I believe that he should be given the opportunity to do so."

"So, you believe that Dumbledore is still alive then?" Lupin asked, fascinated by her confession.

"I believe it is possible that he survived."

"So, why were you shocked when Fred suggested the same thing earlier?"

"I had no idea anyone though as I did, it merely took me by surprise."

"Hermione, do you believe that Malfoy is telling the truth? Do you think that he was actually a prisoner at Malfoy manor?" Moody asked.

"I do. I saw his injuries the night he brought Tonks home; he had been beaten to a pulp, cut, strangled and whipped. There is no doubt in my mind that he was a prisoner. I think he wants to join us, I think he has wanted to join the 'Light' for years, even at school, but did not know how."

Moody and Lupin nodded and seemed to consider her comments for a moment.

"Um, 'Mione, are you going to retaliate for us changing you into a cat woman in second year?" Fred asked, shrugging as Moody and Lupin looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Absolutely!" she said with a firm nod.

"Okaaay, so what are you going to do?" he asked, suddenly looking very worried.

"I haven't decided, but I can say that it will be embarrassing and likely permanent!"

Fred gave a startled gasp and slowly backed towards the door, walking out into the corridor, most likely to go and warn George.

"Hermione Granger, that was highly un-sporting of you." Lupin said grinning from ear to ear. "You were not under the influence of the potion for those last two questions!"

Hermione gave him a haughty, but highly amused look "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about Remus."

Moody chuckled and grabbed the vials of serum from the table, his face suddenly serious.

"I believe it's time to bring the others down to the main living room for the interrogation, I'll leave that in your capable hands Lupin. I want every member of The Order there, including that sullen, sulking infant Ronald. Miss Granger, you might want to do your best to make Mr Malfoy comfortable, he's in for a long session tonight."


	7. Illis Paternus

**Chapter Seven**

'_**Illis Paternus'**_

**The Sins of the Father**

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Hermione found Draco sitting on the day bed by the fire in his room. With a soft knock she entered and sat down on the day bed opposite him.

"You can still change your mind Draco" She implored, "there is no need for you to do this."

Draco looked at her and smiled slowly and sadly. "You don't believe that any more than I do," he said. "I think you; Tonks and maybe Lupin are the only people that believe I might actually be telling the truth. If I don't take this serum and let them all ask their questions of me, they will never believe me – and that could mean we lose the war against Voldemort and I cannot possibly live with that. We both know that I won't live if he rises to full power again. This is the only shot I have at making things right."

Hermione realized that what he was saying was absolutely the truth, but it saddened her nonetheless. "They're almost ready for you downstairs. Is there anything you need?" She could not explain the feeling of guilt that she felt at Draco having to go through this just so he could be believed.

"Harry stopped in earlier; he tried to convince me I didn't need to do this too. He said that you had volunteered to test the serum. What was it like?" he did a poor job of hiding the fact that he was apprehensive taking something a Weasley twin had concocted.

"I have to admit, I was surprised. It's actually not unpleasant, after you drink it this warm sensation starts in the back of your mouth and sort of winds its way up into your head. It's like all control over your impulse to speak is quashed, you want to just blurt everything out and you have no filtering control at all. I hate to say it, but I found it quite liberating."

"That's what I'm hoping for"; he said softly "liberation." Draco smiled; a stray lock of platinum hair falling across one eye. He reminded her very much of Harry in that moment Hermione decided, then to her surprise and to his, he reached out and touched her hand as it lay on the bed next to her. "Thank you for believing me, it was more than I could dared have hope Hermione."

With that, he got up from the bed and walked haltingly down the stairs to the main living room to face his fate.

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Malfoy looked like a man about to be hanged, Ron decided, and it served the bastard right. Part of him had almost expected that Malfoy would stride into the room, demand the serum and order them about. But he had not, he had arrived quietly, followed down the stairs by Hermione, he nodded to Lupin and Moody as they indicated the sofa on which he was to sit, but had not said a word.

Ron glared daggers at him, but if Malfoy noticed, he did not indicate it.

"You'll burst an eye ball glaring like that." George said from his seat beside Ron.

"Piss off George, Malfoy's a right git and you know it. He's probably only here to bring down the Order for You Know Who anyway." Ron grumbled.

"Well, you'll get your chance to ask him tonight. But I think little brother that you should reserve judgment until you hear what he has to say. Don't want to _'injure yourself jumping to conclusions'_ now does he Tonks." George grinned at Tonks who sat on the other side of Ron.

Tonks shot George a wan smile, and then looked perplexedly at Draco, who merely smiled weakly at her. She had strenuously objected to using the serum, particularly as he was still injured and physically weakened. She'd had a hard time dealing with the fact that it had been Draco's idea, not the Orders' for the chemically aided interrogation to take place.

Ron sighed and slumped back in his chair, this he decided, was a complete waste of time.

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Former Hogwarts nurse Madame Pomfrey, now Head of Healing at St Mungo's sat on the sofa next to Draco.

"Are you sure you're up to this Mr Malfoy?" she asked quietly.

"I want this Madame Pomfrey, I need this." He said softly, "And if you don't mind too much, would you call me Draco? Malfoy is my fathers' name you see, and I'm not overly fond of it."

Madame Pomfrey was slightly taken aback, but for the first time since she had met Draco Malfoy ten years ago, she looked at him and saw a human being, albeit one in deep conflict.

"Alright then Draco, I'll be right here if you need me." And with that, she moved to a chair a few feet away to keep an eye on proceedings.

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Minerva McGonagall arrived unexpectedly at Number Twelve, flooing in from her most recent Order mission just two minutes before they were to start, if she was surprised to see Draco, it did not show on her time worn features.

Lupin handed Draco the vial containing 10 drops of the serum – enough to last for just under an hour. Without hesitation Draco drank it down in a single swallow, surprised to find that it tasted of bubblegum.

As the warm sensation that Hermione had described earlier began, he relaxed into it. His mind, so long a closed book, seemed to recognize that salvation was at hand and opened. He took a deep breath and looked at Lupin, who, recognizing the glazing over of his eyes, began his questions.

"Can you please tell me your name?"

"Draco Malfoy."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty years old, I'll be twenty one next month."

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"No."

"Did you ever want to become a Death Eater?"

"No."

"Is your father a Death Eater?"

"Yes, he's Voldemort's second in command."

"Why then, are you not a Death Eater Draco?"

"Because I don't believe that what they are doing is right. They preach about Pureblood supremacy, but they follow a man who is a half-blood. It smacks of hypocrisy."

"So, you believe that purebloods are supreme?"

"No, some of the most disturbing people I've ever met are purebloods." Draco said emphatically, "I don't think that parentage or ancestry has anything to do with a persons worth."

"But you spent your days at Hogwarts calling Hermione 'mudblood' and making her feel inferior because she was muggle born, surely you see how it's hard to believe that you think that parentage is not an issue?" Lupin asked.

Draco looked at Lupin with eyes that showed how much he regretted his actions.

"I was a child, a stupid brainwashed child mimicking the words of his father. I said a lot of things in the hopes that he would believe that I believed it. In Slytherin, I was surrounded by spies, not friends, and every little thing I said or did would go straight back to my father." He sighed, "The day that Hermione punched me in the face in third year for laughing about Buckbeak being executed, my father got a letter from someone in Slytherin, probably from Blaise Zabini. He brought me home, beat me to a pulp in front of my mother and then sent me back to school, bleeding and bruised with the warning that 'the mudblood' never best me either physically or academically again." He looked straight at Hermione, "Most of what I said, I said to avoid the wrath of my father. But I apologize, I know I hurt a lot of people and although I can never take it back, know that I am truly sorry."

Ron snorted with contempt.

"Perhaps you have something you wish to ask Draco, Ron?" Moody said harshly from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, I do. How come you always treated me, the twins and Ginny like crap. Weasleys are as much purebloods as the Malfoys, you made our life hell," The tremble in his voice gave away the depth of his hurt at Draco's actions.

Draco looked directly at Ron.

"You really don't know do you?" Draco asked. "You were everything I hated, because you had everything I wanted. My whole life I was told that your family was poor, you had hand me down clothes, second hand books, second rate everything…but then when I met you that first day at Hogwarts, you were happy, in spite of everything you didn't have you were happy. You had Ginny and Fred and George at school with you so you were never alone, and two friends that would lay down their lives for you for the asking." Draco's voice rose. "I had been told that I was superior, that I had everything. Yet when I saw you I knew that I had nothing compared to what you had, and every time I saw you walking past me I was reminded of that."

"But, you're rich Malfoy, you've never had to struggle, don't give me that crap about…:"

"Rich! Ron there is more to wealth than money, and in that regard, you have more than I ever will. I am not a son – I'm an heir. I'm not loved, I'm tolerated and groomed to be a figure head. When I get into trouble, I get a beating, not a lecture. If I have problems, I am to sort them out myself and not bring shame upon my family name." Draco breathed in deeply, his voice trembling even as it rose in volume. "And don't talk to me about struggle, I've been struggling my whole goddamn life, struggling to be seen as something OTHER than Lucius Malfoy's son, against the lunacy my father believed in and struggling against what I knew my fate would one day be." He ran his hand through his hair and looked up at Ron.

"My father gave MY life for Voldemort, not his, mine. I am a commodity to him, nothing more. My so called friends were no better. Did you realise Ron, that my entire time at Hogwarts I had not one single friend. Sure, I had bodyguards and hangers-on, but they were there for what my money could buy them or my name could bring them. I could have dropped dead in front of them and they would have stepped over me to get to the next person."

Malfoy's impassioned speech was hard to ignore, no matter how much Ron wanted to. The unwelcome but familiar memory of Malfoy surrounded by Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson and Zabini at the Slytherin table at Hogwarts came to mind. It had really never occurred to Ron that Malfoy may have been something other than a 'death eater in training', it was something of a shock to hear that he had felt trapped between the dark world he was expected to join and the world he longed to be a part of.

"I cannot change the things I have done; no matter how much I wish I could Ron. The jealous, petty, arrogant child you knew at Hogwarts no longer exists, and all I am asking now is that you allow me to try and make sure that Voldemort is defeated and that no more innocent lives are lost at his or my fathers hands. It's the only reparation I can make for the injury I have inflicted; do you think that you can allow me that?"

Ron merely nodded curtly and looked quickly at Tonks beside him; she smiled back at him with tears in her eyes.

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Moody stood to the side of the sofa that Draco sat on, he had watched the faces of the Order members as Draco had spoken. That he was speaking the truth was now not in question, but his revelations had startled more than one of them and they sat in stunned silence. Everyone from McGonagall to Harry, who sat next to Hermione looked a little shell shocked at Draco's disclosure. Knowing that they should keep on with the questioning, he drew Draco's attention;

"Draco, did you kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"No, I was supposed to, but I couldn't do it."

"Why couldn't you kill him?" Moody asked.

"Because, I didn't believe in what I was doing, Dumbledore was the only person who had ever believed in me." Draco said, his voice becoming thick as the emotion of that night flooded back. "He knew, that night, that I was there to try and kill him. He also knew that I couldn't do it. Even as I stood there with my wand out ready to strike, he offered to help hide me, to protect me…no-one had ever offered to protect me before. Then Snape arrived and Dumbledore was…I should never have disarmed him, he would have at least stood a chance then." A single tear escaped Draco's eye and traveled a silvery line down his pale cheek, the fact that he made no move to brush it away indicated that he had no idea it was there.

Harry watched Malfoy as he spoke about that night on top of the Astronomy tower and he felt Malfoy's pain as keenly as his own. He did not need truth serum to know that Malfoy was telling the truth about that night, he himself had seen the fear, desolation and utter self loathing in Malfoy's eyes when he had faced Dumbledore. He believed that, had the Death Eaters and Snape not come to the top of the tower when they did, that Dumbledore would have lived and Malfoy would have been protected. It was quite possible that Malfoy would have been fighting as part of the Order had things gone differently that night.

"Do you think Snape killed Dumbledore out of hatred?" Moody asked.

Draco looked startled, "No! Snape always respected Dumbledore, no matter what anyone said. The few times that I mouthed off about Dumbledore in front of Snape, he told me to watch my mouth or I'd regret it."

"I had a lot of time to think about that night when I was on the run, and the more I thought about it the stranger it seemed. I remember Snape was agitated after he killed Dumbledore and as we made our way into the Forest he was muttering about the 'impossibly dangerous plan'. I didn't have time to ask him what it was about, he pushed me into a small cavern, put his hand over my mouth to silence me and told me to shut up or we'd both wind up dead. The other Death Eaters had not been far behind us when we ran from Hogwarts, and we waited in the cavern as they crashed through the forest right past our hiding place. I don't think I'd ever been as scared as I was that night, I had failed Voldemort and I knew that he would mark me for death."

"But Dumbledore was dead, why would he care who killed him?" Lupin asked.

"I don't know why exactly, but it was very important to him that I be the one to kill Dumbledore. He warned me that should I fail him, that he would kill my whole family and anyone or anything else I cared about. I asked him what would happen if someone beat me to it…he told me that it was 'in my best interests' to make sure that did not happen."

"So, what happened in the forest?" Harry asked, wanting to find out exactly what Snape had done after killing Dumbledore.

"When the Death Eaters passed us, Snape handed me a small bag of muggle clothing, some food, maps and a huge wad of muggle money that had been hidden under a log in the cavern. He told me where he had hidden a portkey for me nearby and that I should start running and never look back. Naturally, I was surprised; and when I asked him how he knew I would need to get away, he said that a 'wise old man' told him we would need it. He wished me good luck, told me to stay out of wizarding communities and keep to myself until this was over and then he grabbed hold of the other portkey and was gone, it was the last time I ever saw him. It occurred to me later that the 'wise old man' Snape spoke of, was most likely Dumbledore."

Lupin shifted in his chair and took a deep breath, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Fred and Hermione looked at each other meaningfully. He looked at his watch and estimated that they had a further twenty two minutes of truth serum left.

"Draco, you told us you were in the run for almost two years. How did that come to an end, how did you wind up in the dungeons of Malfoy manor with Tonks?"


	8. Ortus Filius

**Chapter Eight**

'**_Ortus Filius'_**

**The Rising Son **

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_**Authors Note: This chapter is basically long pieces of dialogue, most of it is Draco speaking - unless indicated otherwise.**_

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"I had been running for almost two years when they tracked me down. As Snape had advised, I stayed out of magical communities, kept to myself and never stayed in any muggle location very long. I traveled mostly by night for the first few weeks after the port key had transported me to the mountains of France. I had been surprised to find a small tent included in the backpack that Snape had given me. Although it was charmed, it was small, basic and did not draw attention, which I guess was the point.

In the times that I did meet other people, they assumed I was a muggle English tourist on a camping holiday and I did nothing to alter their opinion. My life was anything but a holiday, I hardly slept those first few months and the news that the wizards held at Azkaban had been released by the Dark Lord did nothing to help – every sound I heard was a death eater coming to end my life, every shadow was Voldemort or my father. I was going insane with paranoia and I knew it – I started to keep a diary to try and stop myself for become a lunatic…Voldemort has that diary now."

He shifted uncomfortably on the couch and continued his story.

"From time to time I would come across a wizarding community; I altered my appearance so as not to be recognized by anyone who may know my father. It was during one of those brief visits to a wizarding village that I first saw a newspaper article that said my mother was under suspicion of being a Death Eater and had fled to Scotland to hide.

I had not seen for over a year and a half at that stage, and although we were not an affectionate family, I loved her and she in her way loved me too. I made up my mind then, that I would head to Scotland and try and find her, perhaps together we would find a way through this. It was my biggest mistake."

Draco's voice became almost a whisper, that he missed his Mother was obvious by the look of desolation on his face.

"My father knew me better than I ever gave him credit for, and in Scotland he dangled my mother in front of me like a carrot, making sure that she was photographed in locations that I could recognize and circulating rumors of her whereabouts. I was so desperate to get to contact her that I ignored all the warning signs – the night that I finally apparated into her hotel room, it was my father waiting for me, not my mother. The only thing my father said to me was "Disappointing Draco, very disappointing," then he hit me with 'Crucio' and I lost consciousness."

"When I woke up I was in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor, I have no idea how long I had been there. I had barely been conscious for five minutes when Voldemort requested that I be brought before him. Crabbe and Goyle, who had joined their fathers as death eaters after their escape from Azkaban, came down to the dungeons to bring me to the Dark Lord. They took an inordinate amount of pleasure in kicking the stuffing out me before hand."

"On that first meeting with the Dark Lord, I had resigned myself to death, I did not welcome it by any means, but I knew it was inevitable. Standing in front of him, trembling with fear and what I could muster of my defiance, I tried as best I could to steel my mind against the Dark Lord's intrusions but it was useless at best and merely added to the reasons he found to be displeased with me. He was strangely calm, he did not ask me why I had not killed Dumbledore, the fact that I had failed in my mission to him was enough. He was almost polite when he sentenced me to be kept as a prisoner in the dungeons and tortured… "until I find a use for you that befits your lowly mudblood loving status, or until you repent, whichever comes first."

Draco gave an involuntary shudder at the memory and only Harry really understood what he meant about the insane politeness of Voldemort's threats, he had witnessed it himself during the Tri-Wizard Tournament in fourth year.

"By way of comparison Lucius was fanatical in his need to punish me. In that first meeting he publicly denounced me in front of the other Death Eaters, and it was on his command that they were given permission to test 'whatever curses you feel are necessary to show him the error of his ways.' They had carte blanche to teach me a lesson, and as the son of the most hated Death Eater alive, I paid in flesh and with my screams for the frustrations my father had wrought upon them over the years."

"I saw nothing of my Mother during the months that I was there, in fact, with the exception of those who came to torture me I saw no-one and no-one was allowed to speak to me, not even the tiny house elf who came to bring me what limited food and water I was allowed. I existed in a world consisting of silence, the laughter of my captors and my own screams of pain. Although I saw no other prisoners during my time in the Manor before Tonks arrived, I all too often heard their anguished cries echoing through the damp stone corridors. Another scream rending the night air during the wee hours of the morning, the sound of another person begging for their life, protesting their loyalty to the darkness…all too often it ended in a flash of green light and the eerie silence that only death brings."

"There were originally four cells in the Manors dungeons, solid stone cells 12 paces by 10 paces, walls three feet thick with no means of escape. Two of the cells had been rendered useless, damaged well before I was born; they had caved in and were unable to be fixed."

Draco had hidden in those cells as a very young child, sometimes as part of a game played with the family's house elf, more often as a retreat against his father's vicious temper.

"I remember the day that Tonks was brought to the Manor, it was either very late or extremely early and I had been trying to sleep after a particularly vicious beating the day before. Crabbe and Goyle brought her down to the dungeon corridor and I had expected that she would be thrown into the cell next to mine as all the others had been, instead they had opened the door to my cell and had mercilessly thrown her across the room, following only to attach the hand manacles to a chain on the wall. I did not look at them, nor did they look at me, they simply left, as though I did not exist at all.

When I was sure that they were out of the dungeon corridor, I moved slowly to where Tonks lay. Bruised, bloody from what I assumed was the use of a Sectumsempra curse and unconscious she was propped awkwardly against the cold stone wall, I remember thinking that the pink of her hair an unbearably bright paradox to the situation in which she found herself. I knew who Tonks was of course, I had seen pictures in my mother's old albums of other family members from her side of the family, but to the best of my knowledge we had never met."

He smiled directly at Tonks, the bond between them palpable as she looked at him with teary eyed sympathy and the haunted look that is found so often in those who have lived to tell tales such as this.

"I moved Tonks as best I could, with my hands manacled I was next to useless. I used some of the water I had left to try and wipe her wounds clean or cleaner at least and then lay her down on the only blanket in the room, knowing there was nothing more I could do for her, I lay down next to her and went to sleep."

"It was the dungeon door opening that woke me the next morning, I had barely enough time to open my eyes when I heard the sharp rattle of chains and before I could get to my feet on my own I was being hauled into the air by my arms, the popping feeling at my shoulder and the searing pain told me that my shoulder was dislocated. The two Death Eaters said nothing at all as they dangled me from the chain – they simply took out a knife and started slowly dragging it down my chest. The pain was blinding and although I tried to hold it in, my scream echoed off the damp dungeon walls, which seemed to only feed their blood lust as they decided to continue to not only making new cuts, but re-cutting into the already bleeding ones. In my pain, I vaguely heard a woman's screaming for them to stop, her horrified screams cutting through the sound of my own heart beating in my ears, before I passed out."

"When I woke minutes later I was on the floor, unceremoniously dumped there I had guessed by my captors. It took me a minute to register that my captors were now preoccupied elsewhere. Tonks was being tortured by Crabbe and Goyle, hanging in the same position as I had been shortly before and facing a similar fate. They screaming insults at her, using their fists to inflict vicious body blows with sickeningly dull thumps. Drawing their wands they used Crucio on her, asking her where The Order's headquarters was, even as I watched her twist with the pain of the curse, her body contorting despite it's restraints, she remained unwavering. Nothing they said could get her to tell them where The Order was, in fact, from memory she told them that The Order met in a hat, a cuckoo clock and inside the statue on Voldemort's fathers grave. Her lack of cooperation made them furious and they beat her within an inch of her life. I would have helped her if I could move, but my injuries and the loss of blood had weakened me to such a degree that I could do little more than watch in horror. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life."

Draco stopped momentarily as Lupin handed him a glass of water and he took it gratefully, composing himself as he returned to his tale.

"Day after day it went on like this, the beatings, the torture and the nights where we huddled together, trying desperately to hold ourselves together, fighting both our growing fear and the weakening of our bodies from both beatings, the resulting infections and the lack of any decent nourishment. They tortured our bodies with curses and weapons and used legilimency and other means to try and break our minds. One night, after I'd screamed at them to leave Tonks alone, the put a boggart in the room with us – Tonks tried to keep me from thinking about my worst fears by singing silly songs, but my mind was so weakened and for the next 5 hours I saw my mother dying in various horrific ways, all the while telling me it was my fault…neither of us slept that night."

Molly Weasley gave a choked sob from the back of the room, grabbing her husbands hand for support. She knew all too well what it was like to see her worst fears made flesh, by a boggart and in reality. Draco looked at her with sympathy in his eyes and continued.

"The beatings had steadily escalated over that last week. The night that we escaped we were certain that death was close. That morning they had once again put us through the most excruciating torture they could think of, I had been first, my ribs kicked so vicously that I head them crack in protest, it made the Cruciatus curse all the more painful for the movement simply forced the bones to press on my lungs, the final straw before they let me drop to the floor again was the knife that they used to open every one of the old wounds that they had previously inflicted."

"Tonks had so far been spared the knife treatment, I had assumed that they required her to live so that they could eventually break her and get the information they needed on the Order. That day, something had changed and in addition to the vicious, bone breaking beating that they inflicted on her already broken body, they sliced a deep V into Tonks' chest, a reminder to the Order they said of the power of the Dark Lord."

"Tonks had been in a fever all day and had been fading in and out of consciousness. We knew that something big was going on that day, there had been shouting and a lot of movement on the upper levels all day, but as night fell our captors returned, this time with my father.

"Lucius looked at me as I lay on the dungeon floor next to Tonks and his expression was vile combination of hatred and revulsion. I knew that he would show me no mercy; he had after all been brutally embarrassed by my betrayal of Voldemort and as I had been told so often in my childhood, a Malfoy never loses face without revenge. He said not one word to me, he just walked across the room to where I lay, spat at me, then turned and said to Crabbe and Goyle, "you have work to do this evening naturally, but tomorrow you may do whatever you wish to them, they are of no consequence." I knew that Tonks and I would not see the sun set the next day, our lives had come to an end."

"Help, when it arrived, came from the most unexpected place, and I forever owe my life to the brave creature that helped us get out of there."

Tonks sent him a huge smile and leaned forward in her seat, "I thought I dreamt that up Draco, what with the fever and all. But it was really…?"

Draco grinned and nodded.


	9. Subilus Succurro

**Chapter Nine**

'**_Subitus Succurro' _**

**Unexpected Help**

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_**FLASHBACK TO NIGHT OF ESCAPE**_

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Draco lay on the dungeon floor, listening intently to the sound of Tonks' shallow breathing – she was not going to make it unless he could get her medical attention. Perhaps he could convince the Death Eaters that she was more use to them alive than dead, although now that they had orders from Lucius, it was highly unlikely that they would listen.

He had grown really close to Tonks in the two months that they had spent together in this cell, her almost nauseatingly perky outlook on life and her ribald sense of humor had been a soothing balm to the situation in which they found themselves. They had depended on each other to mentally, physically and emotionally for the last eight weeks, and he was gutted at the though that he could do so little for her now when she needed it most. Resting his head against the slimy dungeon wall, he closed his eyes trying to fight the fear that threatened to overwhelm him.

He did not know how long he had been asleep, but he woke to the unexpected sensation of cool fingers clumsily patting his head.

"Poor young master Draco, it is not fitting that you should be here." A voice said softly, "Master Draco was always good to Dobby when he was his house elf. Dobby understood that young master could not speak out against his father. Dobby always knew that master Draco was like his mother."

"Dobby!" he almost screamed the name as his eyes flew open and he threw his arms around the tiny house elf in his joy.

"Dobby is sorry he could not come sooner young master Draco, but it has been dangerous times in our world so it has. Dobby was making plans to help the young master escape." Dobby touched Draco's bruised and beaten face and gave an indelicate sob. "Such pain the young master has had to endure; Dobby could not stand to see the young master treated as less than vermin by his awful father."

"Dobby, please…is there any way you can get us out of here?" Draco asked, his voice low, his hopes soaring.

Dobby nodded his bulging eyes keen, alert and if Draco could says so, looking decidedly devious to boot.

"Dobby has obtained a wand for young master Malfoy" Dobby pulled a wand out of the pocket of his rather new looking suit, made it appeared, out of one of the most hideous table cloths ever designed, and handed it to Draco. "Dobby has taken the liberty of arranging a diversion upstairs so that Master Draco may escape with Pinky Head Tonks. Dobby has to go straight back to Hogwarts, he is need there most urgently, but he has made a tonic so that Pinky head Tonks will be well enough to take Master Draco with her to safety. Pinky head Tonks is always nice to Dobby."

Draco held the wand like a lifeline, and gratefully used it to immediately divest them of their restraints, as the manacles fell to the floor, Dobby gave Tonks a bubbling purple potion and she regained a state of semi-consciousness.

"Draco?" Tonks raised her head, frowning as the thumping began behind her eyes, looking across from Draco she saw someone else. "Dobby?"

Draco shook Tonks slightly and cursed himself for not being more careful when she gasped in pain. "Tonks, no time to explain, we need to apparate out of here now. Is it possible that you can get us somewhere that the Order can find us before the Death Eaters do?"

"Need a wand…don't know if strong enough for two…try...?" Tonks said, her head lolling on her shoulders.

"Why isn't she fully conscious?" Draco asked Dobby.

"Dobby is only a house elf Master Draco, I knows only potions that last a little while in humans. Pinky Tonks should be able to get to safety before it wears off, at least Dobby hopes so, for Master Draco's sake."

Draco stood her up, placing her arm across his shoulders, wincing at the pain that jettisoned through his body and trying to ignore the groan of pain from Tonks.

"Tonks, we need to try." He handed her the wand, she shook her head as if to clear it and then took the wand from him in a shaking hand.

Dobby clenched his hands, his ears folded back to malformed skull, and stood back from the couple holding on to each other, barely able to stand. "Quickly young master, you must go now!"

As if to illustrate that point, an explosion rocked the upper level of the Manor, and Tonks waved the wand, thinking of Number Eleven Grimmauld Place.

Seconds later, Draco found himself and a barely conscious Tonks standing outside a run down building in the middle of London. Tonks' head lolled on his shoulder, her eyes rolling back dangerously in her head as her knees collapsed from under her. Draco lifted her into his arms, trying desperately to ignore the pain surging through his body, threatening to overwhelm him.

"Tonks, where do I go?" Draco asked frantically, fighting off waved of nausea and dizziness, apparating had cost them both dearly. "Tonks, please wake up. I can't do this alone, I need you."

"The middle one," was all Tonks said, as she opened her eyes one more time and seemed to concentrate on something he could not see.

To his shock, the two buildings, Number Eleven and Number Thirteen slid apart to reveal the walkway to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, his first step onto the path to the light began as he staggered to the door, with a now unconscious Tonks in his arms. He kicked at the door, and held his breath as it was opened.

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_**End Flashback**_

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Fred's watch beeped, startling everyone in the room.

"The serum should be wearing off in about a minute, you OK Malfoy?"

"Tired, hungry and in a bit of pain." Draco said his face pale and his eyes heavy lidded with the emotional strain that telling his tale had placed on him. "I know that what I've told you tonight is not really useful to help stop Voldemort, but maybe tomorrow you can start asking me things that I might know that could help the Order?"

The look on his face was so hopeful that Fred had to admit to himself that there was the slightest possibility that he had misjudged Draco, and he offered him a very Weasley smile.

"Sure Draco, we can do that tomorrow...if you're up to it of course. Not being rude, but you look like crap."

Draco chuckled realizing that in Fred's flippancy, lay acceptance.


	10. In Order

**Chapter Ten**

**In Order**

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The slow walk upstairs to his room had been a cathartic one, and as Draco sat down on the day bed by the fire, sinking into the down filled cushions; he felt on overwhelming sense of release. Tonight, in front of some of the most influential and important people in the war against Voldemort he had pushed aside his mask and let them see who he truly was; and to his relief, they had not rejected him.

The knock on the door did not startle him; he had been expecting that Madame Pomfrey would want to check his wounds before she left. "Come in." He called, and to his surprise it was not Madame Pomfrey who entered, but Ron Weasley.

Ron stood two feet inside the room, looking at Malfoy with a strange expression on his face as though he had something to say but did not know how.

"Malfoy, I…" Ron seemed to stumble over his words. "I know I was a prat earlier and, well, I wanted to…you know…" he shrugged.

The old Draco would have laughed to see Ron so tongue tied; instead Draco only wanted to put Ron out of his misery.

"I earned it Ron; and yeah…I know." Draco nodded, keenly aware of what this unspoken apology was costing Ron and what it meant for himself.

Ron pulled something out from behind his back, "Thought you might want something decent to read, you know, other than Hermione's textbooks." He offered a thick, well thumbed volume to Draco with a shrug "You know, if you wanted…"

Draco crossed the room and took the volume from Ron 'Quidditch through the Ages', of all the things he missed about Hogwarts, and there were many, Quidditch came high up the list.

A smile lit his face as he flipped through a few pages. "Thanks Ron, I really appreciate this."

Ron seemed not to know whether to smile or not, so instead he merely nodded and mumbled something about making himself a sandwich and he would see him tomorrow as he slipped out of the room.

Laying down on the day bed, the book held against his chest, the smile stayed on Draco's face; it appeared that Ron had been willing to accept what he had told him and had even made a small gesture of acceptance towards him. It was more than he could have hoped for from the notoriously moody redhead.

Movement at the door drew his attention and he looked up to see Hermione standing in the doorway carrying a small potion bottle and watching him with a quizzical expression.

"I just saw Ron come out of here and I wanted to make sure you were still alive." She said with a small smile.

"He came to drop off this book." Draco said as Hermione crossed the floor to sit on the day bed opposite his, he held out the book to her and she took it, flipping it open to the first page 'Property of Ronald B. Weasley – Gryffindor Keeper'. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she realized what this meant.

"And, it's not even jinxed!" Draco said softly; unable to keep the humor from his voice, as he watched her come to the same realization that he had. "Unless my 'perfect' hair is now perfectly purple?"

Hermione smiled at him. "No, your perfect hair is still perfectly blonde, a little too long, but still perfectly blonde." She teased.

"So, I take it that the real reason you are here is to inflict more of that healing potion on me?" Draco said with a wry smile, his head leaning back against the buttery soft cushions of the bed." I think you take great pleasure in the fact that it takes absolutely awful and that I **have **to take it to get well."

"Absolutely" Hermione grinned, "In fact every time I give you a dose of this it erases one more 'mudblood' from my memory, so, if my calculations are correct you only have about…"

"About 3,622 more doses to go until I am redeemed!" he grimaced, looking at her from beneath the veil of his lashes "Hermione, about those times at school, I…"

"Draco, I was joking. You explained your situation very eloquently and honestly this evening. As far as I am concerned, we started anew the night you turned up here after rescuing Tonks." Hermione looked at him and he could not doubt her words as the conviction behind them shone bright in her eyes. "Now, drink this or I'll go get Madam Pomfrey and she'll give you all sorts of foul tasting potions to drink."

"Yes Ma'am!" Draco said, the smallest of smiles on his lips as he drank the foul tasting potion in a single gulp, shuddering as it made its way down this throat.

Hermione sat down again on the day bed.

"So, in spite of the foul potion I just administered, how are you feeling?"

Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Honestly, I'm tired and hungry but too energized to sleep. I feel like the weight of twenty years of trying to be something I am not, has been lifted from my shoulders and I cannot remember a time when I felt this…" he seemed to be searching for the right word.

"Free?" Hermione suggested, the word being the only one that seemed to fit the expression on Draco's face.

"Exactly!" He grinned.

Despite the bruises that still marred his face and the cuts that were healing slowly on his body, Draco Malfoy was a man made new. Hermione could not help but smile at his enthusiasm at his new found sense of freedom.

"Do you know Draco, I can't remember ever seeing you really smile before." She said softly.

The smile dimmed a little, but did not leave his lips entirely.

"I never really had much to smile about, even before the war. My father told me from the day I could understand him, that I was less than nothing; that I was dirt beneath his feet and should be treated as such. It was only as I grew older that he saw I could be of benefit to him in some way, so he made small overtures, nothing more than civility, but I was so desperate to have him …not even love me…just for him to 'like' me that I did almost anything he asked, all except that one thing. I had a crappy childhood, it happens, but I made a choice two years ago and I'm glad I made the right one. Is it crazy, do you think, to be in the middle of his war, with insanity all around me and be this happy?"

"I think you have to take moments of happiness when and where you find them. Sometimes they don't come along that often." Hermione said softly.

Draco looked at her; her voice had been tinged with such sadness even as she spoke of happiness. "Hermione, you know all about what happened to me since the start of the war, and I just realized I have no idea…what about you, how have things been for you?"

Hermione looked a little shocked that he had asked her something personal and he immediately assumed she was going to brush the question off.

"I'm sorry" He said, putting his hands up "I had no right to ask such a personal…"

Hermione shook her head, "No, it's not that….it's just…no-one has asked me that in such a long time. I'm not even sure I know the answer…"

Draco's stomach gave a large growl, promptly breaking the tension in the room and causing them to look at each other and smile.

"Food?" Hermione asked.

Draco slipped on the robe that was laying across the back of the day bed, "If you can show me where everything is kept, I can make us some sandwiches and we can continue this talk… if you want I mean."

"Draco…I…." Hermione looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"It's Ok, you don't need to talk to me today, or tomorrow or ever if you don't want to. I understand that sometimes things are just…well…personal."

Hermione merely nodded "I'll take you up on the sandwich though" she said with a small smile.

Draco nodded, if that was all that was on offer, then for now it would be ok.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The next three days found The Order a hive of activity as Moody and Lupin took Draco through several more interrogations under the newly Ministry of Magic sanctioned '_WWW_ _Vigente Veritas Serum'_, and gained several key pieces of information on the hierarchy of the Death Eaters, locations that Draco and his father had visited in the past and plans that Draco had been privy too before his incarceration.

One such piece of information had led to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lupin and six other Order members from the Ministry, heading to Bristol to take out an elite group of Death Eaters whose murderous deeds had held the wizarding community in the area firmly in a state of abject fear for the last four months.

The information that Draco had given them, had led the capture of seven of the elite group and the deaths of fifteen others. Of the seven captured Death Eaters, the two to cause the most excitement amongst the group had been Antonin Dolohov and Rabastan LeStrange whose close relationship to Voldemort, and on whose sadistic powers he relied to ply the trade of fear in remote communities, made them worthy candidates for the _Vigente Veritas _in interrogation.

Hermione had been more relieved than usual, as she finally walked into the darkened hallway of Number Twelve that night. Like most of the other young members of the Order, she was still ill at ease with that aspect of their missions that resulted in the death of another wizard, however justified that death might be. The battle tonight had been bloody and hard fought, and she knew no sleeping draught would be strong enough to slay the demons that would haunt her sleep for the next week.

Harry and Ron looked like she felt; stumbling up the stairs, clothing torn and covered in dirt, with eyes that showed the toll the war was taking on them all.

"Alright Hermione?" Ron asked as he approached her in the hallway, he looked at her weary eyes, threatening to spill over with unshed tears; and pulled her into a fierce hug.

"Never better." She said, her voice sounding small and broken against the rough wool of his jacket. "You?" she asked him; Ron merely nodded curtly, letting go of a shaky breath as he released her.

"Alright Harry?" she asked, as he staggered to the top of the stairs to stand beside them.

"Never better." Harry said softly, although his haunted green eyes said otherwise as he put his arm around her shoulders and rested his chin on her head for a brief moment.

This had become their ritual since the start of the war. They had never talked openly about the toll that the war was taking on them, this simple, physical gesture of support between them was their only acknowledgement of their desperate situation, so far removed from the dreams they'd had of their lives when they were children.

Although a minor victory had been won today, it came at far too high a price for those who resided at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place to enjoy.

Indeed the following days would find many an Order member far from sleep in the dead of night.


	11. The Secret Keeper

**Chapter Eleven:**

**_The Secret Keeper _**

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

It was the shouting from Remus Lupin that woke them.

"You must be bloody joking! You're actually letting that betrayer in here, have you finally lost your mind Moody?"

Hermione barefoot and clad in black pj's, wand in hand, joined the sleep disheveled group congregating on the first floor landing.

"What on earth is going on?" she asked Harry who was straining to hear what was being said downstairs.

"I don't know, but I think we should find out!" Fred said as he started down the stairs, "Coming you lot?"

As they made their way down the stairs, the shouting grew louder.

"…Dumbledore!" Remus yelled.

"There's more to this than you know Remus, much more." From the sounds of it, McGonagall had returned to Number Twelve whilst they had been asleep. "Do not rush to judgment."

"Now shut your mouth you fool, do you want to wake the entire house?" Moody, who was not renowned for holding either his temper or his tongue, appeared to be fast losing patience with Remus.

"Too late for that I'm afraid," Fred said as the ragtag group walked into the study, "we heard your dulcet tones from upstairs and decided to check out what the excitement was."

McGonagall, Lupin and Moody looked slightly startled at the groups' entrance, but said nothing. A tall hooded figure standing behind McGonagall, clad entirely in black, moved from the corner of the room.

"I'm afraid, Mr Weasley, that the excitement in question, was me." Severus Snape stepped from the shadows and into the circle of light thrown from the lamp on the table, pushing the hood from his cape back.

Harry drew his wand and pointed it directly at Snape, who looked neither surprised, nor afraid.

"Murderer!" Harry hissed.

"Harry Potter, put that wand away now!" McGonagall screeched in horror.

"Snape is a murderer, I saw him kill Dumbledore with my own eyes." Harry's eyes glittered with anger and the lust for revenge.

"Potter, lower your wand NOW. Not everything is as it appears to be," Minerva McGonagall walked around the desk and stood in front of Harry effectively blocking his shot at Snape.

Harry reluctantly lowered his wand, his eyes never leaving Snape's, his glare malevolent.

"Potter, if you cannot control yourself, I suggest you retire to your room. As for the rest of you, stay, but I suggest that you shut your mouths and keep them that way."

Harry gave Moody a look of pure loathing; unfazed, Moody sat down in the leather chair behind the desk.

"Now, Minerva, Severus – perhaps you would be so kind as to tell us what in Merlins name is going on."

Snape stared at Harry from across the room, not fazed at all by the look of hatred in the boys eyes. Harry itched to hex Snape into the middle of next week and wipe that smirk off his face.

"Not that it wouldn't be interesting to see how your, shall we say limited, skills have developed Mr Potter, but I rather think Dumbledore would be a mite put out, by you hexing the new Secret Keeper for the Order." Snape sneered.

"Force him to do that before you killed him, did you?" Harry spat.

"Ah Potter, always so quick to jump to conclusions, it would be prudent at this stage to not embarrass yourself with your lack of knowledge on the subject and sit down." Snape  
turned to Lupin, "That goes for you too 'Mooney'."

"Severus, perhaps you should stop antagonizing and start explaining…" Minerva said anxiously.

Snape gave a curt nod.

"As Minerva was saying…"

A soft pop from the corner of the room halted his speech and a familiar small figured laboring under the weight of a large covered mirror made its way towards Snape, oblivious to the tension in the room.

"Over there Dobby, if you will." Snape said, pointing to the corner of the room.

"What's this Severus?" Moody asked the expression on his face a clear indication that he was not sure that he trusted Snape completely.

"All in good time Alastor" Snape said as he rose to help Dobby lean the heavy mirror against the wall.

"Thank you Dobby, you may stay." Snape said.

"Oh thank you Professor, Dobby has been most looking forward to this Sir."

"Indeed." Snape said with something resembling a smile.

Dobby turned and saw Harry, anger flickering in his eyes, and his ears flattened to his head and his eyes became huge.

"Harry Potter is not to be angry with Dobby; he will see soon that Dobby was helping."

"It's not you I'm angry with Dobby." Harry gritted out between clenched teeth as he glared at Snape.

Hermione indicated the seat beside her to Dobby and he gratefully climbed onto the lounge to sit beside her.

"Do you know what's going on Dobby?" she whispered

"Hermione Granger friend of Harry Potter will soon see, Dobby is very proud to be a part of this most important of occasions. Master Draco!" he said as he saw Draco sitting on the other side of Hermione. "Master Draco looks much better than the last time Dobby saw him, is Master well now sir?"

Draco nodded, smiling at the small house elf.

"Thanks to you Dobby, both Tonks and I are well again. I cannot thank…"

"When you are quite finished Mr Malfoy, I wish to begin!" Snape said waspishly.

"Sorry sir." Draco mumbled, feeling like he was back at school.

Snape looked at Minerva, who nodded at him to begin.

"As you are now no doubt aware, before Dumbledore passed on he entrusted me with the job of being Secret Keeper for the Order…" Snape said softly as he paced in front of the covered mirror.

"'Passed on?' You murdered him!" Harry yelled "He trusted you and you murdered him in cold blood."

Draco felt guilt wash over him as he watched Snape's black eyes glittering with rage, it was true that Snape had murdered Dumbledore that night, but only because of an unbreakable vow he had made with Draco's mother to protect him from Voldemort.

Snape glared but he kept his voice low and controlled as he approached Harry. "That I killed Dumbledore" he annunciated softly, "was not in question Mr Potter." Stalking away from Harry, he continued. "I am well aware that not a single person in this room, with the exception of Minerva, believes that I am not a spy for Lord Voldemort – however, I can assure you that as the Secret Keeper for the Order, if I had wanted to betray you I could have done so a thousand times over the last two years." Snape leveled his gaze at Harry.

Minerva stepped in, sensing that allowing Severus to continue as he had been would serve only to antagonize Potter and likely lead to trouble.

"Severus, if I may?" Without waiting for his approval, she stepped in front of the small gathering, wringing her hands from nervous energy as she spoke. "The last two years without Dumbledore have not been easy; his loss has been felt keenly by us all. As head of The Order of the Phoenix he was to lead us to victory against Voldemort, and without him, I know many of you feel that we can no longer win this war. However, I am hopeful that what Severus brings us tonight may restore some of the light to this otherwise dismal time we face."

"Going to bring him back then are you?" Harry snorted at Snape.

"In a manner of speaking Mr Potter; that is precisely what I intend to do." Snape said as he stalked to the mirror, pulling the cover from it and folding it over the arm of a nearby chair. Taking out his wand he tapped it onto the surface and muttered "_Eternum."_

The room seemed to be filled with the sound of tinkling glass, as though the mirror had shattered into a million tiny musical shards; and light, similar to that found in a pensieve flickered across the walls.

The small group of Order members rose out of their seats and walked hesitantly towards the mirror.

"Severus, is this, what I think it is?" Remus asked in awe as he stroked the wooden frame of the mirror.

"It is doubtful that our thought processes are anything alike Lupin, however, if you are wondering if it is the Mirror of Tammuz, then you would indeed be correct."

Snape stared into the flickering surface of the mirror a small smirk crossing his pale face.

From inside the mirror, sitting in a large armchair by a flickering fire ProfessorAlbus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, very much alive, looked up from the book he was reading.

"Ah, a very good evening to you Severus, I trust you are well?"


End file.
